Absolutely agreed. This is a good move by Obama.

I think everyone who reads this blog knew I was behind McCain in the general election. However, Barack Obama has proven himself to be a fine President-Elect.

At the time that others double-down on the race card [1,2]:

Rep. RUSH: Well, let me just say this, you know, the recent history of our nation has shown us that sometimes there could be individuals and there could be situations where school children–where you have officials standing in the doorway of school children. You know, I’m talking about all of us back in 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas. I’m talking about George Wallace, Bull Connors and I’m sure that the US Senate don’t want to see themselves placed in the same position. I know my friend Harry Reid…

Barack Obama is standing up for a better kind of politics. Good for him, and good for us

[1] http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/12/bobby_rush_doubles_down_on_rac.asp
[2] http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/64896/

“Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it,” Obama said in a statement.

This would seem to bode well both for Obama’s professed goal of government transparency and for the ability of the Obama administration to stand up to the lesser angles of the Democratic party.

[1] http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-sides-with-senate-dems-against-blago-pick-2008-12-30.html

Great points, and I agree.

P.D. Shaw wrote [1]:

5. The Republicans still have a chance at the Senate seat the next election.

I think that’s true. The Ill. Gov seems to be striking back at his own party for leading the effort to remove him. Instead of an Obamariffic pick like Duckworth, the Ill. Gov seems to have nominated someone virtually immune to a primary battle and nearly doomed in the general.

[1] http://theglitteringeye.com/?p=5449#comment-508126

In any case, Harry Reid stated today that the senate will not seat Blogo’s appointment.[1]

“But Reid, in a statement released from his office, said no way, no how.

“This is not about Mr. Burris. It is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell this United States Senate,” he said.

Asked to explain how the Senate could expel an appointed senator who qualifies to sit in the chamber, Reid said the judgment will be based on whether Blagojevich is qualified, not Burris.

“We are not making a judgment about qualifications of (the) appointee, but about whether (the) appointment itself is tainted by fraud. … This is like judging the integrity of an election, free from fraud or corruption. It’s the process that led to the appointment, not the appointee’s fitness,” he said.

Reid noted that three weeks ago the entire Senate Democratic caucus urged Blagojevich to avoid taking “the imprudent step of appointing someone to the United States Senate who would serve under a shadow and be plagued by questions of impropriety.”

I hope the Senate sticks to their guns on this and I hope the president elect backs them up.

[1] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/30/burris-decision-lead-unprecedented-use-senate-power-refuse-appointment/